Obviously nobody understands the vision of The Mindy Project more than its creator, but I think what makes Mindy Kaling episodes better* than other episodes is that Mindy Kaling, more than the rest of her writers, cares about balancing the romance and the comedy—the emotional moments and the funny ones. That’s not to say that other writers didn’t stick the landing on emotional moments ("Christmas," I think, was especially sentimental and was a Grandy-penned episode)— just that Mindy is especially good at it. You can just tell when she is writing because the show feels more confident.

Anyway, I bring this up because this episode was truthfully like every other episode this season. In our e-mail correspondence (also featuring the lovely Jamie) Jenn provided this extremely apt sequence of events:

But I loved this episode. You guys. This episode was my favorite episode of the season despite following this pattern. Call it the Kaling touch.

Maybe it was that the difference of belief made sense to me and felt legitimate on both ends. Mindy obviously believes in the fairytale; Danny obviously doesn’t; and both have seasons’ worth of character history to support how they are feeling. Even Danny’s tried-and-true excuse for his frequent misbehavior—daddy issues, ex-wife issues—felt important and weighty here, where in other episodes it felt like a cop-out (see: “Caramel Princess Time.”) The obligatory talk—Jenn forgot to add it to the list but what would a third season Mindy Project episode be without a third party telling Danny he is wrong?—felt earned, reasonable, legitimate, and emotional.

Mindy Kaling said that the last ten minutes weren’t that funny, and that depended a lot on the leads. She was wise in that decision and in the decision to give Chris Messina silences. This? This is The Mindy Project I missed—the show that appreciated the silences and respected the characters enough to let them say how they felt without a punchline.

Of course, when I last wrote, I heard that I was a sucker for the romance and that was why I didn’t like the season. I thought about that a lot this week and I think that if I am a sucker for anything, if I look for anything in a show like this, it is moments of earned conflict—moments where The National could be playing, or Jimmy Durante. I look for conflict because conflict makes characters interesting. Romance gets pulled into it because romance breeds conflict, but it really is just that I like to see characters tested and grow and become finely developed.

In this episode, I felt development! I felt real stakes. I felt everything that a Mindy Kaling-penned episode normally makes me feel. It was the first time all season, with half-exceptions to the first episode and the Christmas episode, where afterwards I could not focus on my work because I just wanted to talk about the show with someone!

Allow me to think of some examples of where this episode excelled. (As I'm writing this, it is currently 4:30 in the morning so I am a little off my game, but let’s see.) I think it was one of the best-paced episodes all season — I was worried beforehand that it would be congested, what with the baby shower and the (2!) doctors’ appointments and the wedding, but it didn’t. I think this episode was better paced than “Danny and Mindy,” honestly. I also loved the B-plot and felt that it tied up Peter’s arc, if this is it for Peter, in the best way possible. I loved, loved, loved Rhea Perlman’s performance, as well as Mindy’s and Chris’s. They brought their A-game for this episode in every respect. This includes Chris’s scruff.

I loved to see the boyfriends again and honestly, even though the idea that any of Mindy’s exes would believe Morgan was absurd, I didn’t care that much. It was worth it. I loved Dot and Annette’s reversible vests. I loved Santigold at the end of the episode so much. Oh, the “Boys Are Back In Town” dance was perfect.

I just felt like I was watching the characters from before, in a lot of ways. And in that happy post-finale glow I could see, a little bit, that this season did have an arc, and it did have a build-up to this point.

I could see it... and then I started thinking about these things:

How the eff could Danny not tell Mindy about his marriage thing before? How could he read her diary and not make some comment?

So what was the point of proposing to her at Christmas, then? The shame proposal post-pregnancy, Okay, I get it. But was he really going to get into this commitment because he almost screwed up her fellowship?

Why did nobody yell at Mindy for not telling her parents about Danny? They’ve been dating for at least 8 months, right? How could she not prep Danny on that before the dinner that he would have to make a big first impression? Just so she could say “It shouldn’t have to come to that” when Danny said he would have come if she’d said something?

Where was Richie this season? WTF?

What was the point of Danny going to India? Yeah, I get it, I get it—he was going to properly meet the parents. But Mindy Kaling has said that they intentionally didn’t have Danny ask Mr. and Mrs. Lahiri for their daughter’s hand in marriage because he would “change his mind but not his behavior.” Or maybe it was the other way around—you get the picture.

The Mindy Project twitter posted that picture of Danny at the end with the caption, “Finally.” Finally what? Finally Danny went to meet the parents? We’ve been anticipating that event for only, like, 20 minutes. Finally Danny professed his love to Mindy? He’s already done that, a million times.

I know there are more reasons. I’m so tired so please forgive me if you think these questions are easy to answer.

The biggest thing that got in my way from this episode being the rectifier for all past episodes that I’d complained about in the past was that Danny’s action doesn’t mean that much when you consider the past. He has done the romantic gesture, like, every episode. And I know I’ve said this, but it has been a really long time since we’ve gotten any plausible reason why Danny loves Mindy so much. Not because of her "confidence," because based on his behavior (laughing at her, telling her to stop talking, etc) he is working on fixing that about her. But when was the last instance where she told a joke and he laughed? When was the last time they talked without bickering? Or without some conflict between them? Or without the need to apologize for something? When was the last time Danny was nice to Mindy just because he loved her, not because he owed her?

So the “I love yous” this season felt increasingly hollow as the season progressed. This episode gave them meaning and weight—again, this episode was awesome.

But it just sucks that the majority of this season hasn’t done this episode the service it deserves. This episode has made the process of forgive-and-forget so tiresome that when an episode like this comes by, it takes a while to realize that what is going on actually means something.

And what was really something—more exciting than the final shot, though not quite as artful and cinematic (because wow on the ending)—was that Mindy broke the cycle of passively forgiving Danny. She did not send the email that would justify his behavior as: “We’re figuring this out, and that’s okay with me.” I don’t doubt all her words are true, but… still. I hope this is a problem that is not fixed within the first episode; I hope this is a problem that helps the fourth season get off on the right foot. Mindy doesn’t trust Danny’s ability to commit. Who the hell knows if Danny will change or not?

Do these people still make each other better, or would they be better off apart?

Stray Obso’s:

Speaking of apart—I am pretty sure this is one of only two episodes where Mindy and Danny do not end an episode sitting on a couch/bed together or having a cutesy moment. Don’t quote me on that, but still.

Peter’s marriage to Lauren is totally gonna fall apart, right? I mean, the pre-nup comment, the stalking comments, etc.? I don’t understand what the joke is about stalking, by the way—is it that he “wore Lauren down”? If so, ick.

I love that this episode brought Tamra and Morgan together but didn’t have them hook up. Trying to shove that in would have made the episode unnecessarily jampacked, and I would like to visit that in the fourth season.

20 bucks that the fourth season opens with Danny at the wrong door and Mindy’s parents are down the hall? Hereeee’s hoping!

One disappointment of this season is that we didn’t get to see more of Stanford. I loved that Mindy got to do a lot of career-forwarding things this season and would have liked to see her ride out Stanford without Danny flying over there every episode.

Mindys Lahiri and Kaling win the MVP for the season. I say it every time, but Mindy Kaling has become such a great actress, and Mindy Lahiri has grown so much. Last season I was a Danny apologist in a major way; now I don’t know why he deserves her.

Was Mindy ever the one “in the wrong” for an episode? Dead serious about this question. Follow-up: if so, was Danny also presented as being “in the wrong,” too (a la "Caramel Princess Time")?

“It’s just a sitcom” is something I got in the comments last time, too, and something I have also thought a lot about. Why do I care so much about a sitcom, or why do I judge it so harshly? The answer is in the changing standards and expectations. This is a rom-com, not a buddy comedy (a la It’s Always Sunny), so it’s harder for me to get behind excessive shenanigans.

Okay, so all the boyfriends were great. Max Greenfield made me wonder if I should give New Girl another try, he was so good. Anders Holm on hotness alone makes me wonder if I should watch Workaholics but his delivery of every single line is so A+ that now I think I must. Josh is one of my all time faves and I think he is one of the funniest characters this show has ever created. BJ is quite controversial (hee hee) but I loved his little aside with Morgan.

You guys were really great last time in the comments about telling me why you disagreed with me, and I loved that! Please tell me why you disagree with me, because I love talking about TV with people. (I would especially love that now because now it is 5 AM and I am very tired and I am sure I didn’t form my argument as strongly as I could have, so by talking to me about what you agree/disagree with I can maybe do a better job clarifying tomorrow).

I’m not saying what I wrote is trash, obviously. I’m a consummate professional, you goonie. I am mostly saying that because Jenn and Jamie had so many good points to say about this season and this episode (weirdly, I seemed to like it more than a lot of people, including these two) and I am afraid I’m not giving them justice.

But FYI - for those who think I (or Jenn or whoever’s review you may vehemently disagree with in the future) am a buzzkill, hata, waka flocka, whatever — each one of these reviews is over 1,000 words long. This one is 2,000 words long. These take me about 1-2 hours to do. I have written enough in my 2 years of Mindy for a novel. If you (general “you,” obv) feel any urge or tendency to be rude (which is not the same thing as disagreeing with me), remember that a) I am a human person, an angel without wings, even and b) I may be a hater, but I’m a hater who puts a lot of time and work into these things and ultimately loves to do this and loves to write. [Jenn's note: PREACH IT, ANN. Ann spends a LOT of time working on her reviews as does everyone who writes for this site. On average, an Arrow review will be ~4,000 words, a Community one ~2,000, a Once Upon A Time one ~1,000, etc. People work hard to write these and carve a lot of time out of their days to do so. Disagreement is one thing -- we totally and completely open well-articulated criticisms and comments here, because not everyone watches television the same way and that's amazing. But please don't bring hate to this site. Especially to people who work hard for what they love.]

Speaking of “love” — THANK YOU TO JENN FOR THIS AWESOME OPPORTUNITY. I have been slacking lately, but you have been so accommodating. You are knowledgeable and understanding and generous and this has been so much fun for me. You are the best! [Jenn's note: UGH, I LOVE YOU. Thank you for being my Mindy guru/rom-com guru/general TV guru & being so awesome. AND for managing to write and be in school at the same time, plus being a part of a sorority and like, running 26 miles. I don't know how you do it.]

And hey, if you made it this far—THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEWS THIS SEASON, if you stuck around. I’m sorry if you disagreed with me for much of what I wrote. I am sorry that I didn’t love the season more. I think I will like it more while binge-watching it, but I stick by what I’ve written. I also really want to write for Jenn this summer (and hopefully a little more before then) so stay tuned!

* Other episodes of note Mindy has written: “Pilot,” “Take Me With You,” “All My Problems,” “You’ve Got Sext,” “The Desert,” (co-written) “Danny and Mindy,” “We’re a Couple Now,” “Caramel Princess Time.” Her only missteps were “LA” and “Danny Castellano Is My Nutritionist,” but on the other hand she helped write The Office’s “The Injury” (hilarious) and “Niagara” (very romantic) so let’s call it even.

11 comments:

You're a better fan than I am, at least about the Peter subplot. I've been trying to figure out why it was in there, and no, there is no reason she would have married him. I was wondering if SHE was pregnant. Danny was super-nice to Mindy in Lahiri Family Values. I also think buying her a house she wanted was nice, though there are those who disagree with me and find it controlling (and I've been on record as thinking it was creepy when Jim did the same thing on The Office but not thinking so with Danny because he knew how much she wanted it and because, at that point, they were not married or engaged or even pregnant). Oh, and I'd add both Stanford and San Francisco Bae. The former was also an episode where he was right and he was wrong, imo. He was basically foot-raped and she was douchey to him. Whatever he said wrong in that argument was justified, imo, by the indignation he should justifiably have felt at her reaction there. She was flat-out wrong. And yet, he came back to make it right with her when it was completely her fault. Oh, and Devil Wears Lands End. That was all on her too. I feel the same way as you about Max Greenfield and have a lukewarm relationship with New Girl, which I mostly watch for Schmidt and Cece and so I won't miss the first minute of TMP (but I watched The Goldbergs last year). I just really don't like Jake Johnson at all and have always hoped Jess would meet some great guy who wasn't one of the four guys in the cast (I was one who never got the Rachel/Ross or Ted/Robin thing either, though, so maybe there is something wrong with me). Thanks for a measured review that didn't include the word, suck. Most of the best-written ones don't;) (I think I may have figured out an ID that would work for me here too, btw)

I think that I'm more willing to let the Peter subplot slide because, while it is problematic, it is easily the best effort of The Mindy Project to give its side characters a lasting B plot. The only other sustaining effort was Morgan and Tamra and I ... I mean, some people like a lot more than I do when The Mindy Project skips around on major events (because they refuse to follow sitcom norms) but I think it gets frustrating. The Peter/Lauren/Jeremy stuff has actually taken up the majority of the B plots, and has given Jeremy some defined purpose (as opposed to when he was a schlub for no reason). I am pretty sure I am in the minority on that plot, though, and that most people would agree with you. I would bet it will only become an issue if they get Adam Pally back--that is, they've set up enough pieces that their marriage could be problematic, but if Adam Pally is pretty much gone, they will let him have his weird, weird peace.

Re: Danny in Lahiri Family Values -- he definitely is *nicer*, but they are mostly split up for the majority of the episode, and their cute pillow talk is directed at the baby, not her. (The point of the conversation is more about "Why don't you stay at home?" Not that he's not nice -- this is hard to articulate -- but I think the one example that describes what I am talking about is Mindy and Danny's bed conversation in Haters. ... Like that their interaction gives you the feeling that Danny is falling *more* in love with her or that he is super duper in love with her as it is. (Maybe the end of the second episode, too?)

I am kind of team "Don't buy me a house without asking" but I also think I don't love the romantic gestures as much IRL as I do on TV. I think a lot of what happens on TV or in books (TWILIGHT!!!) is overbearing or unnecessary (explaining my feelings on Danny and Mindy), but sometimes it works better than it would in reality. So I didn't really mind that Danny did that, though doing that nice thing was really to set Mindy up in a position where she couldn't spill about San Fran. (Wait, as I think about it- isn't her moving to San Fran just as bad as Little Danny living in NYC?)

I am very bad at remembering what happens in the episodes, but Stanford was not a fave of mine because that disagreement, though not exactly vilifying Danny (Mindy was SO rude!!!), felt like something the plot dictated, not Danny. (But yeah you're right Mindy was totally wrong -- flat out wrong is kind of a shoe pun, btw -- but the show presented it, I think ??, as Danny being wrong for feeling that way) I do think the end of that episode was sweet, and I do have to give you San Fran Bae. One of the best things Danny did this season to/for Mindy was not getting mad about the e-mail. (He also acted maturely in this season finale too!)

Devil ended with him having to change his behavior for her, though -- but yeah, she was wrong there, too.

Max Greenfield hadn't really done it for me until recently but he has perfect delivery of lines and he made Lee so much better than I had thought he would be at the time. "You said I made you feel invincible!" "Invisible. I was buried under a pile of stuff on your bed." I also have a lukewarm (lukecold, tbh) relationship with New Girl, though I do think it's cozy binge watching. What stops me from loving it is that I don't care for the showrunner, Liz Meriwether, at all. (Why don't you like Jake Johnson?? He and Cece are my favorite parts of the show and I will always want them to hook up). I have mentioned this before but I am SOOOO team Jess and Sam. I was team Jess and Ryan, too! I don't know why sitcoms always feel the need to stick someone together with someone else for forever when most relationships happen and then you move on. (I am also anti-Rachel/Ross -- Ross creeped me out -- and VERY !!! anti-Ted/Robin, for a lot of reasons)

You are welcome! To be honest, the exclusion of the word "suck" was pure luck; I like to write my reviews without editing them much because I think they read a little bit more comfortable that way, especially because they end up being so long hahaha. I will try to be a less candid, emotional reviewer in the future (not applicable to my incessant reminders of how handsome every dude in the cast is. Can't get rid of that!)

As I said, the main difference, to me, between Danny/Mindy and Jim/Pam with the house is that Jim and Pam were already engaged when Jim bought the house (The fact that it was his parents house factored in there too -- was he really considering what Pam wanted?). At that point, it was THEIR money, THEIR plans, THEIR future. Once you're engaged, you start thinking of every pair of earrings your bf buys you as coming out of joint funds, much less a house. So he should have asked Pam. With Danny, he hadn't committed to her, so the house signified his willingness to do so, his willingness to be in a relationship at all because, otherwise, he had a perfect situation. He spent his SOLE money to make this gesture for her. He owed her nothing at that point, but he gave her a promise of their future. Here is something in my past that is probably informing my thinking: When my dad was a young man, before he met my mom, he happened to receive a large sum of money, and he used it to buy an engagement ring (a pretty good one, 1.5 carat, good quality emerald cut stone with baguettes), not having met the girl, because he knew he'd want to in the future. So when he asked my mom to marry him, that was the ring she got, and it might not have been the one she'd have chosen (though, like I said, it is nice). But, otoh, she got a guy who was ready to commit and responsible enough to think about it. Danny often reminds me of my dad, and that's what I think he did there.

I think her planning to move to San Francisco AFTER she knew about the baby, BEFORE he said he'd move with her is pretty much her saying she would take his baby and make it have an awful single parent childhood like he had. At least, I think that is how he took it, and I don't think taking it that way was unreasonable. I know they made it about female empowerment, but she didn't play fair.

Btw, I think I'm one of the people who have said, "It's a sit-com." (but not with the word, just) and my point was not not to take it too seriously or judge it too harshly but only, that sometimes that is why over-the-top things happen. For example, the boyfriend parade would have been totally weird on a drama. I don't remember what I was referring to when I said it last, but I do remember that that was my point. One cannot expect sit-coms to mirror real life completely because everyone on sit-coms would be completely insane by real-life standards. They have to be viewed through heightened sit-com standards.

Jumping in because I kind of agree with you to an extent regarding sitcom shenanigans. As someone who's a fan of Community, there's not much that show hasn't done in the name of hilarity and homages, humor, etc. This is a show that did: paintball episodes as movie homages, an episode that was entirely 8bit animation, an episode an entirely of "flashbacks" that were newly shot scenes to mirror a clip show episode, a zombie episode, etc. What I mean is that I've seen it ALL when it comes to Community.

BUT -- here is the BIG but -- a show that's a sitcom can only be considered important and valid, in my opinion, if it is grounded in SOMETHING. Yes, sitcoms have more liability and freedom to do things dramas don't and to inject absurdity where other shows couldn't. But... you can't use that as an excuse, either. You can't say that because a sitcom is -- by definition -- a situational comedy that you can excuse its behavior. There always needs to be a purpose to the comedy, or else you turn into The Big Bang Theory or something like that where you are a show that cracks jokes for the sake of cracking jokes. Absurdity needs to be rooted in something foundational or else it'll crack. Does that make sense?

So no, we can't expect sitcoms to mirror real-life entirely, but we also can't have a situation be so absurd that it is unrelatable or implausible in the world of the sitcom. If that happens, all you've done is create a caricature of your characters and your show.

I knew it was someone but truly my memory is nonexistent so I'm sorry!I wasn't meaning to put you on blast, either. It just made me think a lot!

What is weird to me is that I have heard from people that it is a sit-com and shouldn't be taken seriously--ie, shenanigans is OK--but then I have also heard from people that it is grounded in real life so much MORE than other shows and that I don't like it because it doesn't follow those norms. I see the points in both. I think that what makes Mindy a little bit different to me is that, while it is a sitcom and while I'm willing to allow a lot of plot stuff slide (like their patientlessness or their impossible to drain bank accounts) because I don't really need that realism in my TV*, I like when the show makes emotional connections, which is what Jenn is saying and what I totally agree with. I think that's another reason why I prefer Mindy over New Girl (don't get mad Jenn hehe): the emotional moments are a lot more likely in Mindy to not be paired with a joke. I think that goes back to what I said in the review: Mindy is a rom-com and so it can have those extended periods of drama without it feeling weird, and New Girl is more ensemble sitcom a la Friends (where drama can happen and does, but is not as vital a component to the show). That makes it harder for Mindy to be as outrageous.

*I am a big believer that TV shouldn't be realistic unless that is how it is selling itself, a la Louie (that dark comedy thing -- I don't watch Louie but this is what I have heard anyway haha). TV, books, etc have the power to frame their own narrative** and have the power to shape what message they're giving to the audience, whereas trying to find messages in "real life" is a retroactive thing (trying to make sense of things already happened versus planning in advance).

It really does come down to expectations vs. reality--I think I may diverge from Jenn here, but I think a show can be important and valid without an emotional center. (I'm thinking It's Always Sunny or Seinfeld) I think Community could be a great, experimental show, but it didn't advertise itself that way and tried to be too many things at once, which is why the homages are exhausting rather than cool--you have been given emotional moments with the characters in the past, and the show is about a 'community,' so leaving it out feels wrong.

Hmm, I don't think I disagree with anything you're saying, Jennifer, though I guess we're disagreeing with how it applies to The Mindy Project. I actually think TMP is a very grounded show and think the characters' (Mindy's in particular) reactions to the various situations are a lot more measured than in most shows. For example, in the past episode, Mindy's reaction to Danny's declaration was just so extremely calm compared to much of the sit-com universe (Picture Melissa McCarthy -- Molly or ANY character she's played -- in the same situation, if you don't believe me). It was beautiful and nuanced and grounded and that is what made it heartbreaking.

But it is comedy, and I say this not by way of "excuse" but explanation. In comedy, characters do things comedically which is why, for example, we don't question whether Barney Stinson would have some gross disease (He would) or whether nice people like Ted, Robin, and Marshall would want to hang with a guy who is such a disgusting pig toward women (They shouldn't). We roll with it unless, maybe, we just don't like sit-coms. Morgan's behavior on the show, for example, would be stalking on most shows. But there have been Morgan-esque characters throughout the ages (An early example, Lenny in Laverne and Shirley, Kramer in Seinfeld, Kenneth in 30 Rock), and we accept them as funny. Honestly, Morgan is a gentler version of this character because I am able to view his behavior as sweet whereas I've never not found Kramer annoying.

One exception, a sit-com I view as being hyper-realistic, is Louie. I agree these conventions don't exist there. It's more real. That said, I've had mixed success watching the show. I find it very bleak.

I've really enjoyed reading your views on this season, because last season I used to obsessively wait for each episode every week and this year it was just not the same for me. And honestly, I don't think I even care all that much if it comes back if it's going to be more of the same in s4 ie Danny messing up, and making up with the grand gesture at the end. I hate that I'm kind of like.. okay though why does he actually love Mindy?

I actually really loved the first episode and the idea of Mindy and Danny as a couple being the focus was so exciting to me! So that's still my favourite of the season. I don't mean to be entirely negative but basically, the show doesn't make me feel the way it used to and I'm still sceptical with regards to the pregnancy storyline. But I do agree, something special about the episodes Mindy has written for the most part!

Thank you so much for saying that/making me not feel alone! I was the exact same way and this year I really did lose a lot of that special feeling I had last year.

What makes me excited about s4, though, is the possibility that Mindy is a step ahead of Danny this time. I really am hoping that her not sending that message is significant, because as I said in the review, what Danny does to cap the episode isn't different than what he's done in the past. I wouldn't mind them butting heads over that issue again because it feels like a huge barrier to overcome.

I wrote the review last night and have had time to think about it now, but I think what makes it hard to remember why he loves Mindy is that every episode pretty much has them at odds with each other or in a plot with each other (which involves conflict). I'd like to see there be a moment where Danny looks at Mindy the same sort of way he did in season 2, or an episode that -- I wrote this in the pregame in September btw -- an episode that reaffirms that Danny not only loves her, he loves her more than he ever has!

I think Haters is so good but also sets up the formula for the rest of the season. I say that because I always will wonder why the writers refused to answer a lot of interesting questions, like "what is it like that Danny and Jeremy both dated Mindy?" and "what does everyone think about this -- not even that they love each other but that they are lovey dovey in the office?" There were no 'haters' in the episode -- no one seemed to really care, hahaha.

The pregnancy storyline didn't end up as badly as I thought it would, but it also derailed a lot of the interesting career stuff, which was a shame (I think Stanford was a good idea that only got, like, two episodes' worth of time).

Glad his episode helped you see the season's arc. I will say that I don't think that with the exception of a few episodes was Danny presented as truly wrong… I think he was presented as annoying and silly more then wrong for most of the season which was why Mindy could just roll her eyes and forgive so easy. Although I would argue that while she did forgive him it did have an impact, I mean even the little things were brought up tonight.

I am totally with you hoping that when the show picks up they don't just let this "big" gesture make it so this is ok. I hope its a struggle. I truly believe the show is stronger with them as a couple, and I think nothing hurts a show more then breaking up and putting together a will they or won't they couple multiple times cough Friends cough but I think there should be a real risk here. I think it would be good for there to be a real fear for the audience to get to see how much Danny loves Mindy again. I also think it would help make the eventual proposal very earned, for the audience not Mindy.

Ok while I hate Lauren and feel Peter (second favorite character to Mindy) deserves so much better I loved Peter getting his happy ending and the best man dance with Jeremy was FANTASTIC!! I actually loved this love triangle arc so much this season not because of Lauren but because I loved the Peter and Jeremy interaction they were so funny and honestly that best man dance felt earned.

Actually I know you don't agree but I saw a real arc this season and build and character development, so I think every moment in the finale felt earned. I think Mindy earned her lack of faith, and Danny earned realizing that he didn't truly have a place in Mindy's life and that he had to get it, that he wanted it. I also think he earned finally realizing that he let his issues cost him that.

Ok so now I am just going to have random thoughts that go in no real order:

I think I am one of the few who really doesn't like Morgan, I don't mind him in limited doses but I would prefer seeing Tamara paired with Rishi. Just think of the double dates with Mindy and Danny and Tamara and Rishi so much humor.

While not a big Morgan fan I did love the ex boyfriends, I just did. BJ Novak was fantastic and Josh will forever be my favorite Mindy boyfriend. I just loved Josh and even more I love this show has found a way to bring him back every season. I hope we see Casey or Josh next season too.

I was very anti pregnancy story, I like babies in real life but HATE them on tv but I actually think this has been really well done and added some interesting depth and conflict to the show and to the characters.

I wish they had focused more on Stanford. I know people love Lee Pace (I don't think he is cute at all so I don't get it) but I wish instead of that episode we'd have seen an episode of her going through her fellow ship, skipping time. I would have loved to see her struggle and succeed at it. That being said I love that they gave her this desire to want more, I hope we see her clinic more next season.